Rian stood at the back of the line, hands in the pockets of his blue uniform, watching the fights unfold on the stone platform with a steady gaze.
First up, a skinny girl with short hair took on Lira Senn.
Her shaky hands summoned gusts of air, hurling mini whirlwinds at the professor.
Lira barely shifted a foot, her face cold and still, and with a snap of her fingers, the girl started shrieking, flailing around like the whole field had vanished.
"Where am I?!" she wailed, tripping over herself as Lira closed in with slow steps and dropped her with a gentle but dead-on shove to the chest.
The student hit her knees, gasping, while the veterans at the edges snickered under their breath.
Next, a stocky guy with a wrinkled uniform challenged Mira Veyn.
He raised his hands, and a stream of water shot up from the ground, whipping toward her like a lasso.
Mira smirked, green eyes glinting with fun, and lifted a hand.
Her metal cube stretched in a blink, morphing into a net that snagged the water and flung it back at him as icy rain. He slipped in the puddle, crashing flat on his back with a choked yelp, while Mira crossed her arms and sighed.
"Step it up next time."
Fed up with losing to the women, some students tried Darius Kain and Gavren Holt.
A scrawny kid with red-dyed hair faced Darius, chucking sizzling fireballs through the air.
Darius grunted, snuffing his own flame orb with a flick, and marched straight into the onslaught. The blasts grazed him, singeing black marks onto his uniform, but he didn't flinch.
With a rough yank, he hoisted the kid by his jacket collar and dangled him off the ground.
"That doesn't even warm me up," he growled, dropping him like a sack, out cold.
Another tall guy, oozing confidence, took on Gavren with an earth power.
He rattled the ground under the professor's feet, raising jagged rock pillars.
Gavren let out a deep laugh, thumping his chest with a fist, and charged the rocks head-on. He smashed them with one swing of his beefy arm, barreling forward, and sent the kid tumbling off the platform with a shove.
"Next!" he bellowed, grinning crookedly as he brushed dust off his hands.
Headmistress Alina Veyra watched from the platform's edge, arms crossed, a scowl of disapproval etched on her face.
The newbies muttered among themselves, some rubbing their arms or scratching their necks, clearly rattled.
"This is impossible," one whispered near Rian, while another grumbled.
"Their powers are way too strong."
Alina slammed her staff into the ground again, the crack slicing through the air like a whip.
"Quiet," she commanded, voice sharp and final.
The chatter died instantly.
"I see this batch's level is… underwhelming," she said, her tone icy as her red eyes scanned them. "If the professors' powers scare you that much, you can face them without 'em using any."
She paused, raising a brow.
"Go ahead, try it."
A flicker of hope lit up the newbies' faces, and some hands shot up with fresh gusto.
First up was a messy-haired shadow-user, itching to take down Lira.
Without her illusions, Lira moved with near-freakish agility, dodging the dark tendrils he lashed like whips.
In a flash, she was behind him, landing a crisp chop to his neck with the edge of her hand.
He faceplanted, groaning, as Lira smoothed her hair with a precise, chilly flick.
Another went for Mira, blasting air bursts to shove her back.
Minus her matter control, Mira spun on one foot, letting the wind sail past, and darted in with quick steps.
Before the guy could blink, she elbowed his gut and knocked him down with a light but firm push.
"You're slow," she quipped, brushing a brown strand from her face with a smile.
With Darius and Gavren, it got uglier.
A fire-user faced Darius, who, without flames, outmuscled him raw—blocking hits with his forearms and dropping him with a chest punch that left him coughing on the floor.
Gavren took on a water kid, not even dodging the jets—just tanking them head-on, stomping forward, and hoisting the guy by his uniform to chuck him off the platform with a grunt.
Rian watched it all in silence, scratching his cheek as he broke down every move.
He clocked how the teachers, even powerless, pounced on the students' openings.
'No chance against them.'
A nudge at his shoulder snapped him out of it.
Kaelin sidled up, arms crossed, a sly grin on her face.
"Hey," she said, voice lilting with mischief, "when's your turn?"
Her red eyes sparkled as she looked at him, fingers fidgeting with her own blue jacket.
Rian tilted his head, glancing at the platform where another newbie bit the dust.
"When it quiets down a bit," he murmured, tone calm but thoughtful.
He scratched his cheek again, eyes locked on Gavren shaking off his hands like he was dusting dirt.
Kaelin snickered, leaning in a touch.
"Waiting for 'em to tire out so you can mop the floor easier?" she teased, giving his arm a light elbow nudge.
"Nah," Rian said, short and straight.
He watched Darius sidestep a water jet like it was nothing.
"I'm picking up their moves. Even without powers, they don't back off. They hit weak spots without blinking."
His voice was flat, but a glint of intrigue flickered in his eyes.
Kaelin blinked, caught off guard for a sec, then grinned wider.
"Think you could take 'em?" she asked, tilting her head with curiosity.
Rian frowned, mulling it over.
"Nah," he admitted finally, scratching his neck. "They're too good."
Kaelin let out a low laugh, digging a hand into her jacket pocket.
"Well, at least you're not delusional," she said, pulling out a small paper-wrapped pack of cookies and tossing it to him with a quick flick. "Here, for you."
Rian blinked, staring at the cookies with a puzzled frown.
"Why're you giving me this?" he asked, voice low as he took the pack gingerly, turning it over in his hands like he wasn't sure what to do with it.
Kaelin grinned, planting a hand on her hip.
"It's part of the reward from the guy I helped yesterday," she said, voice perking up with enthusiasm. "And since you bailed me out with those clowns, this is your cut!"
Rian nodded slow, scratching his cheek again.
"Thanks," he mumbled, peeling the pack open carefully. He pulled out a cookie and took a bite, chewing quietly while eyeing the platform.
Alina slammed her staff into the ground again, the sound cutting the air sharp.
The newbies, worn out and done with losing, had gone still in their rows, some staring at the ground in embarrassment.
She fished a sheet from her tunic pocket, frowning as she scanned it.
"Kaelin Veyra," she said, voice ringing with a hint of irritation. "Your turn."
Kaelin gritted her teeth, shooting Rian a grimace.
"Crap," she muttered, low and ticked off. Then she gave him a quick shoulder pat. "Catch you later," she said, starting toward the platform.
"Kaelin Veyra," Alina repeated, louder and sharper now, tapping her staff again with impatience.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kaelin yelled, throwing her hands up as she picked up the pace, black hair whipping behind her.